Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare

There is no doubt to say that the guerilla warfare is relatively a battle of politics. Just the same as in most wars, the main thresholds to obtain involve the thoughts and the minds of the entire population itself. It is said that once you have a common behind you, triumph is but just a step away. With this mind, it is quite easy to understand that the human is efficiently the primary objective in this kind of war. The psychological operations in guerrilla warfare have great impacts into the lives of many people.

As being said, the guerilla warfare is a political war, which means that its overall place of operations have exceeded the traditional warfare’s territorial limits in order to infiltrate the political entity that has been defined by Aristotle as a political animal.

This kind of warfare is established and grew within the environment of politics. The guerilla warfare conception as a political war actually turns Psychological Operations in the decisive factors of results. Then, the main target is the entire population, including their troops, the troops of the enemy as well as the civilian population.

Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare – An Introduction

Associated Press reported on October 15, 1984 that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has created a manual that is essential for those Nicaraguan Contras which has given the title of psychological operations in guerrilla warfare. It is a 90-page book that contains several instructions that mainly focused on how the Armed Propaganda Teams can offer political support in Nicaragua. This is for the Contra cause with the use of violence, intimidation and deceit. This manual also discussed about assassinations. However, according to the CIA, the main goal of the manual was to be able to successfully moderate the great violence that has already been used by the Contras.

What Is the Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare All About?

The manual actually recommended the selective usage of violence on some propagandistic effects and to be able to neutralize the officials of the government. The Nicaraguan Contras have also been taught to lead those demonstrators to war or clashes with those authorities. This is to provoke shootings and riots that would lead to killings, and those who will be killed will be perceived as martyrs. Such situations must be taken advantage against authorities or the Government in order to create and develop bigger conflicts. In addition, the manual also encouraged the use of armed force that is essential for psychological operations effect.

The book is a significant manual for the trainings of the guerilla in the psychological operations as well as its applications to the solid case of the democratic and Christian crusade that have been waged in Nicaragua.

The primary purpose of the manual is to introduce those guerilla students to the techniques on psychological operations that will be valuable to them in the guerilla warfare. This is also highly essential for them to obtain maximum results and to become effective in the guerilla students.